


you just have to be at the wrong place and wrong time

by cpt_stvngrntrgrs



Category: Captain America (Movies), Captain America - All Media Types, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Post-Endgame, oc shield agent is me as a shipper, steve and nat's relationship through the eyes of a shield agent, there is a new SHIELD
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-01
Updated: 2019-07-01
Packaged: 2020-06-02 03:53:07
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,547
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19433380
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cpt_stvngrntrgrs/pseuds/cpt_stvngrntrgrs
Summary: A newly recruited SHIELD agent can't help but to think there's more to Agent Romanoff and Captain Rogers' relationship as Avengers.--for anon: "A newly recruited agent curious about capwidow if they're a couple or not + two children running around suddenly around the compound and finds out theyre capwidow's children."





	you just have to be at the wrong place and wrong time

**Author's Note:**

> i based this off my post-Endgame HC (where Nat is very much alive) that they eventually build SHIELD back up, with Hill as the director and Steve and Nat are still involved in it somehow. and they have a family. and sam babysits for them <3
> 
> @ anon who sent this: you're right - I did enjoy this! thanks <3

“All of you are here because you advanced from the most rigorous process of recruitment - the one that ultimately tested your physical and mental capabilities,” Natasha said, addressing the 15 new SHIELD recruits in front of her. “However difficult that experience may have been, that is the easiest thing you’ll ever had to go through here. It will only get harder from now on,” she raised her eyebrows at them, scanning all their faces - which remained passive.

“Now, as your commanding officer, I expect all of you to always be on your best behavior,” she continued. “This means I expect nothing but the best from all of you. I also do not want to hear anything from anyone that my recruits are misbehaving. Is that clear?” 

“Yes, ma’am!” they answered promptly. 

Natasha let a hint of a smile play on her lips. “At ease.”

She watched them change into a laxer position, as did she, and lowered her voice. “Now, as you know, there is another group of new recruits, led by Captain Rogers. In two months, all of you will take another test that would give you the opportunity to level up as an agent.” she declared, already feeling a hype-sort of energy from her team, judging from their smiles and glances at each other. 

“I don’t want to pressure you, but,” she let on, and all their eyes snap at her, “for the past two years, _not all_ of the new recruits in _my_ team got this promotion and I wish I can say the same about Steve’s- I mean, Captain Rogers’ group. But I have a good feeling this time around - I think you guys will be the ones to break my unfortunate streak.”

She smirked to herself, a playful gleam in her eyes, as she saw her agents smile to themselves as she dismissed them. She can feel that this will be the team that would finally make her win this year’s bet against Steve. He’s been getting too smug about his 100% pass rate for two years already and it’s about time she changes that. 

\--

“Hey why do you think Agent Romanoff wants us to beat Captain Rogers’ team? I mean, aren’t we all new SHIELD recruits here?” Paolo Crawford, a member of Natasha’s team, asked his friend.

Avery Steele, also a new recruit but in Steve’s team, just shrugged. “I dunno. Maybe it’s just a friendly competition, you know? I mean, with them being _The Avengers_ and everything, they must be real good friends or something.” 

Paolo knitted his brows together, genuinely curious. “But there was something in her eyes when she mentioned Cap’s name…” he trailed off.

Avery blinked at him. “I know you have a habit, but please, _please_ tell me you’re not thinking of what I think you’re thinking.”

“Okay, but hear me out-” 

“Paolo, stop! They are our commanding officers, let’s not think too much about it.” Avery scolded, standing up to leave him alone with his sandwich. He just pouted and continued to eat lunch by himself.

\--

Well truth be told, Paolo’s been trying to figure out what was _up_ with Captain Rogers and Agent Romanoff. If there’s anything between them, that is.

His interest was piqued when he went to his first orientation as a new SHIELD recruit - and the two of them were there to personally assess everyone. After getting over a fanboy moment of being in the same room as two Avengers, Paolo noticed something. The way Steve and Natasha worked together was fascinating.

But like Avery said, they are the Avengers, and most of all, partners. Of course, he expected them to be in sync and coordinated, but seeing it up close was… unreal. One of the things Paolo prides himself on is his meticulous attention to detail, and wow, those were some details he noticed from his commanding officers!

First of all, whenever Natasha would talk or address them, Steve gets this _look_ in his eyes, and some sort of fondness takes over his face, a ghost of a smile always on his lips. It’s as if he’s mesmerized with what she’s saying, despite him for sure hearing it around a hundred times already.

And then there was a demonstration of some sort from the two of them – different types of fighting styles that the new recruits should practice for their assessment. There’s just something about seeing them “fight” in person that Paolo couldn’t take his eyes off – they looked like they’re dancing, with each of them knowing exactly how the other moves. It was truly captivating. But besides that, the way the two of them looked at each other while doing so – Natasha’s smirks and Steve’s smug grins – was just a _tad_ bit too flirty to be platonic, in Paolo’s most honest opinion.

Well. If there isn’t anything but partnership between Rogers and Romanoff, Paolo can’t say he’s not disappointed. That would be a serious waste of chemistry.

\--

A month and a half passed quickly, and suddenly, the acceleration assessment is only two weeks away. All the new recruits are feeling the pressure and the exhaustion from trainings and drills. Their schedule is packed with different kinds of things every day, right from the moment they wake up. They only get an hour and a half lunch breaks, and dismissal at 6pm.

This particular Friday, exactly two weeks from the assessment, all 30 new recruits just seemed so _defeated_ by lunch time that Steve took Natasha aside to talk about them.

“Nat, we should give them the rest of the day off. Let them have an early start to their weekend,” he said, moving out of earshot from the common room by turning to a corner.

“Hmmm, I guess they’re still recovering from their full-day drill yesterday,” Natasha winced at the memory. They set out a field with targets, traps, fake shooters – the works – so the recruits can experience what the assessment will be like. They all did well, which was great, but she has to admit, even _she_ got tired from just watching them. 

“And that will also give us the rest of the day off,” Steve reminded her, grinning as he put his hands on her hips.

She smirked, “Oh? Got plans, Rogers?”

“I might have a few.”

“Okay, well, let’s actually dismiss them before we _start_ your plan and forget about them,” she chuckled, standing on her tip toes to swiftly peck his lips. His grin got wider when he turned around and she slapped his ass as he was walking back.

“Hey guys,” Natasha tried not to roll her eyes at the way Steve addressed the room. Okay, she knows it’s lunch and they’re bringing good news, but this guy is just so _nice_ to them. It’s always like Good Cop, Bad Cop with them – she can tell that the recruits fear her, out of respect of course, but she can also tell that they _adore_ Steve. Well, who wouldn’t?

“We know you had a tough day yesterday and this morning,” he continued, everyone’s eyes fixed on them. “So, Agent Romanoff and I decided to let you guys go early today. You’re dismissed when you’re done with lunch. See you all on Monday!” he ended with a bright smile, which was received with applause and cheers from everyone. 

Steve turned around to smirk at Natasha, who just shook her head at him, and placed a hand behind her back as they turned and made their way back to the elevators. Once she was certain no one was behind them, she snaked her arm around Steve’s waist and slipped her hand in the back pocket of his jeans.

\--

“Avery I’m telling you, they’re _together_ , together!” Paolo all but hysterically screamed at his friend after telling her to meet him out that night.

After getting dismissed by their COs, Paolo was going to catch the elevator back up to his quarters to take a nap since he was done eating anyway and he wanted to rest. He was checking his phone as he was walking, not really looking ahead of him since by this time, he practically knows the layout of building by heart. The sound of laughter made him look up – half in curiosity and half in fear – because that was Agent Romanoff’s laugh.

He froze in his step. In front of him were his COs, talking in low voices while _very_ cozily waiting for the elevator.

Feeling like he witnessed something he shouldn’t, he swiftly turned the corner and just hoped that neither of them saw him. It’s not like he’s stalking them – he really isn’t – but he’s sure Agent Romanoff won’t appreciate him seeing that. 

Taking a deep breath, he sprinted for the stairs on the side and decided to go through there instead, not really wanting to chance the elevator. He didn’t stop running up the stairs until he reached the floor of his room and shut himself in.

After hearing this from his, Avery tried very hard to push it aside, but she has to admit, even she’s getting intrigued. She sighed and swirled her drink with her fingertip. 

“Interesting. I’ve been hearing some, well, gossip about Captain Rogers. You know, from other recruits…”

“And…?” Paolo prompted.

Avery spoke after taking a sip of her drink. “Well, they also have suspicions on him being with Agent Romanoff,” Paolo’s eyes widened, but she continued talking, “though the two of them are known to be best friends, so it might really be just how they are with each other,” she added with a shrug.

Paolo pouted. “I just want to know the truth,” he sighed and downed his drink. Avery looked at him with something akin to pity in her eyes.

“Why don’t you just go ask them? Agent Romanoff seems to really like you, she might want to chat with her favorite recruit.” 

“Do you really think I’m her favorite?” Paolo asked cheekily, to which Avery rolled her eyes fondly at. “And no way! That’s just wrong in so many levels!”

“I don’t know what to tell you then.”

\--

Paolo decided to come back to the HQ that night to get some workout and training in. Although he’s grateful for having the rest of the day off, he felt… guilty somehow that he didn’t feel worked out enough. Besides, the gym and most of the compound should be empty given it’s a Friday night – most are either out and about or too tired to be up. Before heading to the gym, he went to the kitchen first to get some water.

When he got in, there were two children – a girl and a boy – sitting on one of the tables, drawing on a piece of paper, and a sandwich and juice box in front of them. Paolo stared at the two, not quite comprehending what he was seeing. As far as he was concerned, there were no children living at SHIELD’s HQ, nor are random children randomly permitted to be there. _SHIELD doesn’t start them young… right?_ No, no, no. That can’t be.

As if sensing that someone was staring, the boy – which looks older of the two – smiled and waved at him. He has golden-blond hair and a toothy grin, and he somehow looks familiar although Paolo was certain he’s never seen this child before. The little girl with him, noticing he was looking at someone, looked up and mimicked the boy – waving and smiling at Paolo as well. She has strawberry-blonde hair, as if the two colors are mixed together to get that shade. 

Huh.

Not wanting to seem like a creep, he smiled back at them and gave a little wave, turning to the fridge to get a bottle of water. He still can’t fathom who those children are and what they were doing at SHIELD!

He was about to speak out and talk to them when someone beat him to it.

“Hey… what are you guys doing here?” 

Crap. That was Captain Rogers’ voice.

Paolo couldn’t see him from where he was standing at the fridge and he stood very still, not wanting to move nor show himself if possible. But he knows it’s not because he hears footsteps approaching the tables – _his way –_ and knows Steve will see him very soon.

“Uncle Sam brought us here because he said Auntie Maria called him to come here and that you and mommy are here too!” the boy babbled on.

Hold on.

 _Uncle Sam_ and _Auntie Maria???_ The Falcon – Sam Wilson and Director Hill – Maria Hill? _You and mommy???_ These are the Captain’s children???

The Captain has _kids???_ Is he married??? The only quarters in this part of the HQ are Steve’s and Natasha’s – who else could be here? The little girl has more of a red hair than blonde-

Paolo’s brain was going a hundred miles a minute. He’s trying to process what was happening around him like it’s a bunch of puzzle pieces that he has to put together.

“Your uncle’s here?” he heard Steve ask again, voice louder, indicating he’s almost to where Paolo was at. In an attempt to _hide_ himself, he opened the door of the fridge and stared at it, like he’s watching the most fascinating movie while scanning its contents. They have an awful lot of milk and cheese, he noticed.

“Yeah!” he heard the boy exclaim. “Where’s mommy?”

“Well your mom and I…” Steve trailed off, his voice right behind Paolo, no doubt catching sight of him. “Agent Crawford?” he asked, voice laced with confusion. Paolo’s hand on the milk carton froze and he almost dropped the bottle of water he was holding. 

He spun a very clumsy 180 degrees, feeling heat creep up into his neck. Said Captain was only wearing a robe and pajamas. And his hair was in disarray. _Oh._ He’s hoping that he doesn’t look like the tomato he just saw inside the fridge.

“Yes, Captain?” he _really_ hoped his voice was steady to Steve’s ears because it sure as hell didn’t for him. 

“What are you doing here this late on a Friday night?” Steve asked, smiling at him. He didn’t look mad – if anything, he looked surprised and amused. “Isn’t everyone else out? Or you know, resting?”

Paolo nodded. “Yes, Captain. I just thought I needed more training and I was going to work out down there,” he pointed downwards, as if Steve could see the gym from underneath his finger.

Steve let out a chuckle, shaking his head. “Don’t worry about it, Agent Crawford. Get some rest. Nat, uh, I mean, Agent Romanoff is very happy with your performance. Trust me.”

Before Paolo could respond, the little boy tugged on Steve’s arm. “Daddy, I’m sleepy,” he pouted. Steve laughed and mussed up his hair.

“James, Mommy has to stay here tonight. If you want, I can go home with you two and she’ll come home tomorrow. Or… just sleep in Mommy and I’s bed here for tonight.” Steve explained.

Paolo knows this is a personal moment and he’s basically been dismissed by Steve which means he should probably leave. But alas, he felt frozen in his spot, still holding onto the fridge’s door and peering inside it while stealing glances at the three.

“With mommy!!!” the little girl squealed out. Steve grinned and leaned down to pick the little girl up in his arms. The boy – James, it seems – nodded and stood up.

“Crawford,” Paolo’s head snapped up to meet Steve’s eye, “like I said. Nat likes you, and that’s no easy feat. Take it easy. Though don’t let her know about this,” he winked, a mischievous smile on his lips. And with the girl on his right arm, Steve held out his left hand for James to hold on to.

“Y-yes, Captain.” He answered. Steve nodded and walked with the two to the elevator, finally leaving Paolo alone to slump on the floor.

Well at least his question was answered.

But what did he mean by not letting her know about “this”? That Steve told him he was her favorite or that he found out about their family?

Huh. So, Black Widow and Captain America really _is_ a thing. And they have children. Paolo shook his head and smiled to himself. At least he shipped the right couple. He stood up and walked to his quarters. Although he was dying to tell Avery about it, the moment between him and Captain Rogers felt so… personal that he knew he can’t just talk to other people about that. Not without the consent of either of them – he knew it wasn’t his place nor his story to tell.

\--

The day after the recruits’ assessments was a very tense one. The two groups were told to meet their COs first thing in the morning to learn about their results.

Steve and Natasha stood before the 30 anxious faces of the recruits, holding a piece of paper with the results. They shared a glance before Steve spoke up.

“First of all, I want to tell everyone: good job on your assessment. We were very pleased with the results.”

“Yes, I have to say, each and every one of you exceeded our expectations,” Natasha continued, to which she was met with shocked faces. 

Steve observed the recruits and let out a chuckle, looking at Natasha and raising an eyebrow. The corners of her lips lifted, and she nodded. “To answer the question in your minds: Yes. All of you are now Level 2 agents. Congratulations.” He smiled and clapped his hands, which was followed by cheering and clapping from the newly-appointed agents.

After a while of celebrating, Natasha put her hand up, to which they silenced as she began to talk. “Now, as my group knows, this is the first time in two years that I had a hundred percent pass rate. Well, Captain Rogers and I have this bet – if one of us achieves that perfect rate, we’d owe the other a dare. Since we both achieved that this year, then we both owe each other a dare.” She heard the crowd go “ _Oooooo”_ and smirked.

Steve looked at her, puzzled. Natasha stared back at him and grinned. “And I want to redeem my dare right now.”

Steve’s eyebrows shot up. “Oh? What might that dare be?”

“Kiss me."

Silence.

The agents looked at each other, shocked. Did they hear that correctly?

Steve stared at Natasha, blinking slowly, as if she might as well have told him that she was Loki in disguise.

“Come on, Rogers, you heard me,” Natasha prompted, crossing her arms over her chest and raised a challenging eyebrow at him.

The agents are looking at them back-and-forth, like it was a movie unfolding. It took Steve a while to recover. He stood up straighter and smiled at her. “Why, do you want to make our new agents uncomfortable?” he asked, putting his hands on her waist. She let out a laugh and shook her head.

“I’m actually aiming for the opposite.” She unfolded her arms to hold onto his shirt, standing on her toes to meet Steve’s lips as he leaned down. Gasps and _Awwww_ s erupted from the group as their lips met, which made Natasha smile as she playfully bit Steve’s lower lip before pulling away.

She turned back to the agents, waiting for someone bold enough to ask them _the_ question. One brave soul in the back raised her hand. Natasha nodded and the agent spoke up.

“So, does that mean you and Captain Rogers are dating?”

Natasha chuckled, shaking her head. The agents looked puzzled. All but one.

“Agent Crawford, you didn’t tell them?”

All eyes snapped to Paolo, who almost jumped at the mentioned of his name. “N-no, ma’am,” he merely squeaked out, feeling flushed at getting singled out. Steve gave him a thumbs up in return. From the other group, he saw Avery shooting him a looking that’s half-glaring, half-confusion.

“Nice work. I appreciate that.” Natasha told him. “No, Steve and I aren’t dating. We’re married.”

“And we have two kids,” Steve added, smiling at everyone. They stared at them, speechless. Who would’ve guessed?

“You might be wondering why we’re telling you this now,” Natasha spoke up after a few seconds of silence. “Now that all of you have Level 2 Clearance, we can tell you this and you’ll also be seeing more of SHIELD, like getting access to more places in the HQ and such. This is just a heads up that you might see our kids, James and Sarah, roaming around. They’re usually in the higher floors and lounges so if you see them, don’t freak out. They’re used to this environment so please just say hi or something.”

“So,” Steve clapped his hands together, “that’s all for now. Once again, congratulations. We may not be your direct CO anymore, but feel free to chat if you see any of us. We’re here as your mentors to support you. Dismissed.”

\--

“How dare you not tell me!” Avery whispered a bit loudly at Paolo while they were in the newly-accessible lounge.

“Captain’s orders.” Paolo grinned sheepishly, waving at the little kids who just entered the room accompanied by their father. Steve caught his eye and winked at him.

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading!
> 
> ps/ Paolo is my cousin's name and he turned 18 today! happy bday, this is for you!! (tho u asked for a deckerstar fic oops)


End file.
